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Lufthansa Christens A380 after the City of Johannesburg at O.R. Tambo International Airport

Tuesday, June 28, 2011 | 00:00

Johannesburg, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) welcomes yet another milestone at O.R. Tambo International Airport as Lufthansa Christens one of its A380’s ‘Johannesburg’.

“The occasion comes a year after O.R. Tambo International Airport welcomed the first commercial Airbus, the world’s largest passenger plane, in February 2010 operated by Air France KLM. Lufthansa followed suit in June 2010, when they became the second airline to use the aircraft at O.R. Tambo International Airport operating the Frankfurt route,” said Unathi Batyashe-Fillis, ACSA Communications and Brand Manager at O.R. Tambo International Airport.

"The accommodation of the new generation aircraft (A380s) formed part of our master plans in the development of O.R. Tambo International Airport. ACSA invested in excess of R500 million in A380 related projects. Some of the developments included shoulder and taxiways upgrades, development of new aprons, longer baggage belts, and larger passenger holding and boarding gates," said Batyashe-Fillis.

Batyashe-Fillis says the airport currently has five apron stands for A380s; of which three are for contact stands with dual air bridges to load and off-load passengers from the double-decker aircraft, as well as two remote stands.

Batyashe-Fillis added that O.R. Tambo International Airport is the only airport in the African Continent that operates A380’s. The airport will soon be welcoming Emirates as the third A380 operator to fly Dubai in October 2011. ENDS.